Armored Core 4 Ps3

In the late nineties, a more or less unheard title found its way onto the original PlayStation. This title was Armored Core, and it quickly became a cult hit. With smooth, albeit complex game play, tons of customizable options, and consequently, tons of replay value, Armored Core gave players tons to be happy about. Now, more than a decade later, the fourth installment of the series, Armored Core 4, finds its way onto the PlayStation 3. This mech battle game offers a lot for fans of the genre, but is it better at its core (no pun intended) than the original?

Game Play

Getting the one significant negative out of the way first, the customizability of the mechs is not nearly as impressive as it was on the original. That being said, there are still plenty of options for gamers to choose from, who they wish to champion their battle against the bad guys. Beyond that, play is more or less the same, simply with updated graphics, upgraded missions, and just a few more things to do. One of the cooler new additions is the ability to switch weapons on the fly. Rather than a primary and secondary weapon, players have two right shoulder weapons, two left shoulder weapons, and the primary. These can be switched between with ease. All this adds up to having plenty of fun ways to kill your enemies.

The missions are the base of the game, and they really are the same sorts that fans of the series will be used to. Many of them involve seeking out and destroying a target or targets. While a bit repetitive, it’s the sort of mission that never really loses its appeal. And of course, each one is different in a few key ways, increasing the challenge as the game goes on.

Graphics

Compared to past Armored Core games, the Graphics are great. Compared to other games of this generation, they are average at best.

Audio

The music and ambient background music is, well, ambient. The sound effects are great though. There is plenty to occupy the ears while blasting the enemies to smithereens.

Overall

The limited customizing makes this game slightly less appealing. For those who found that to be more of a hassle than a bonus, this might be the best Armored Core game ever.